Shani Amavasya snan on Saturday along with the incessant flow of the pilgrims from across the country on their way to the char dhams have left the Ganga ghats crammed this weekend. With the sea of humanity being seen on every connecting road and national highway, the traffic is crawling, if not stuck up for hours in the snarls. The condition of National Highway 57 and 58 is the worst despite the traffic police having made route diversions to ensure a smooth traffic flow. Buses, trucks and other vehicles were found stuck bumper to bumper on the roads leading to Kankhal. The spiralling number of e-rickshaws plying in the interior roads has further added to the traffic pileup.
The commuters said that the ongoing broadening works of the national highway is the principal contributing factor to the huge traffic pileup. “Though the works are nearing completion as a few places things are pretty bad at others where the works are going on. The sooner it is completed the better for us. However, we wonder when the work would be completed, given the snail’s pace with which it has been going on,” said a senior resident of the holy city, found sweating profusely while being stuck up in a long snarl on one of the stretches where the national highway work is going on.
With the people of the holy city being at the receiving end of the never- ending stream of devotees and pilgrims swarming in it, they say that they have not seen such a huge footfall in the recent time. A resident of Bahadrabad who is working in a packaging company, Mohan Singh said, “This weekend, things are difficult for us. With people swarming in their droves, we are facing unprecedented ordeal on the roads. I failed to reach my office to attend an important seminar. Even the trainer coming from Delhi was stuck up in a jam.”
Things had started on Friday when the people from the northern States started to throng the city. “ We are sure that things would remain the same on Monday,” said a daily commuter from Harrawala.
However, the vendors selling cold drinks and thandi lassi are happy as they are making a brisk business with the people flocking to them to slake thirst and to get relief from the sweltering heat. “It is a record sale this year for thandi lassi,” said a beaming lassi wala at Har Ki Pauri. The same is the case with the road side vendors selling lemon soda. “Scorching heat has turned them to me to quench thirst. We have had a good sale,” said Ram Bahadur.